Catamaran power-boat.



Patented Dec. 1 5, 190s GATAMARANPOWEB BOAT. APPLICATION 211,21) OCT. 1, 1907 5 9 7 m w 3/ fi i w w 6 9 m g z c 9 2 II 1, 2 m M. 5 101/ 9 I 2 1 I w MA 1 0 9a 6 Z kv brersuses; wxhafm g m/uni WM.

JULIUS S. LANE, OF BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK, ANDJOHN L. MATHEWS, or BILLERIOA,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CATAMARAN POWER-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 15, loos.

Application filed October 1, 1907. Serial No. 895,379.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ULIUS S. LANE and JOHN L, MATHEWS, respectively of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and of Billerica, in the county of Mid-' dlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Catamaran Power-Boats, of W ich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boats used for towing and guiding cargo boats, and is designed to produce a motor boat for shallpw river use which shall have its propelling ap-' paratus so mounted and I protected as to draw free water and discharge it without hindrance, without drawing from under the hull, and adapted to work so in either direction parallel with its longitudinal axis.

It consists in a boat having two hulls which are spaced far enough apart to accommodate a propeller or propellers in the space or passage between them, and is constructed so as to be variable in draft when the depth of the water erinits or requires.

Of the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 represents a plan view of a boat constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 represents a sectional plan view taken on the water line of the boat, Fig. 4 represents a stern transverse view. Figs. 5 and ii are detail views on an enlarged scale, representing the packing means for preventing any leakage of air and water around the adjustable deck which is provided. Fig. -7 represents a detail view showing a means for supporting the propellers independently of eac other. Fig. 8 represents an end elevation of the modification shown in Fig. 7.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

As shown in the drawings, theboat constituting our invention is of the catamaran type havingtwin hulls l and 2 from which extends a p rtial deck 3-. The deck over hang, at both ends of the boat, and is formed with-square ends which are adapted to be used as abutments in pushing. At the bow and stern of the boat are horizontal bars 4 converging on the center line and secured together by stem and stern posts 5. These bars 4 are located both somewhatabove and J below the water line, and serve to deflect logs and heavy floating matter so that the same will not enter the space between the hulls and foul the propellers. Between the hulls near the bow and stern respectively, are

racks 6 for collecting wood and such other floating matter as may find its way past the deflector bars 4. These racks consist of up wardly inclined bars connected to transverse racks so that the rubbish collecting on them may be removed from time to time.

Thor-driving instrument consists of pro pellers 9 and 10 located in the space or assage between the hulls. These prope lers are driven by motors 11 and 12 within the braces 7 8. The deck 3 is open abovethe a hulls, with which they are connected by shafts 13 and 14. These shafts diverge and pass through the inner or adjacent walls of the ulls so as to be as nearly parallel as possiblewith the axis of the boat. It is possible to use'onl'y one propeller and motor, but in order to drive the boat straight ahead or astern, it is better to have two arranged at.

opposite inclinations so that the angularity of one will offset that of the other. Each screw, driving the water toward the center slantingly, reacts with the thrust ofthe other screw to give a resultant motion of the water straight astern, obtaining higher efliciencythan results when the screws are directed outwardly so as to drive the water away from each other and from the boat. The outboard ends of the propeller shafts are'held in bearings in a transverse brace 15, or the transverse brace may be omitted and the ends of the outboard bearings extended to the screws and held by braces, as shown at 29. The motive power employed may be electricity, steam, or the combustion of gases, and may be developed in the boat itself, or in an external power plant and transmitted to the boat by suitable means,

As the hulls are built comparatively wide and with little draft, the location of the pro.- pellers may cause their upper blades to noject above the surface of the water, as will be seen from Fig. 2, where the normal water .line is re resented by the line a.

pellers The deck is composed of a central section 16 afiixed to the hulls directly above through the water.

the propellers, and adjustable forward and after sections 17 and 18. These adjustable sections are hinged to the forward and rear sides of the stationary deck and areconnected with adjusting screws 19 passing through the swivel nuts 20, so that their swinging endsmay be raised or lowered. When the motors are in operation, the adjustable deck sections dip into the water before and behind the propellers. To prevent water washing over the deck, the extreme forward and rear edges are bent u Ward as shown in Fig. 2. When the propel ers are set into operation and the boat started, the air is churned into the water and driven out and the water is caused to rise and fill the space under the decks, so that the propellers are fully submerged in unbroken water. This condition is secured by having the deck practically water and air-tight so that a partial vacuum may be obtained by the driving. out

-' of the air with the water.

The means for securing this result while still permitting the adjustment of the deck is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.v In the former, 21 represents the inner wall of one of the hulls.

' These inner walls are vertical and parallel, as

shown in Figs. 3. and 4, so that they are the same distance apart exce t near the ends, which are'rounded to faci itate the passage On the edge of each adjustable deck section next to either hull, are fastened strips of rubber 22 23 secured by angle irons 24 clamped by bolts 25. The edges of these strips are turned up and down respectively, and press against the hull in such a way that the pressure of the water and air increases their tightness. spaces between the fixed central portion of t e deck and each hinged portion are covered by a strip 26 of rubber whichis secured by clamps 27 and 28. These strips extendentirely across the propeller space and press their ends against the hulls. It will thus be seen that every joint is suitably packed so that no water can leak out or air leak in.

In places where the depth of the water is suificient, the draft of the vessel is increased,

7 so as to lower the propellers entirely below the surface of the water. This result is produced .by admitting water in some of the compartments in the hulls. When thus the draft is increased, the end sections of the deck are raised entirely above the water line so as to aflord no hindrance to the motion of the boat.

It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the Specific details of construction shown and described, since the adjustable deck sections may be raised and lowered bodily instead of swinging, or may be made to slide in grooves, or both the end sections of the deck between the hulls may be riveted The engines or motors in the hulls connected to drive the shafts; the shafts bein conver ent so that the water displaced by t e prope lers is given a resultant motion directly astern.

2. A boat consisting of a plurality of connected hulls spaced a suitable distance apart, a shaft passing on an angle through the mner wall of a hull into the intermediate s ace, a ropeller mounted on the shaft and ocated Between the hulls, and means for rotating the shaft; said shafts converging toward the center line of said space, whereby the thrust of the propellers produces a resultant motion of the water straight asterni 3. A boat consisting of a plurality of connected hulls spaced a suitable distance apart,

a shaft passing on an angle through the mner Wall of a hull into the intermediate s ace, a

ropeller mounted on the shaft and ocated etween the hulls, means for rotating the,

shaft, and an air-tight deck extendin between the hulls above the propeller, a justable'so that its fore-and-aft ends may lie below the water level, or be lifted clear of the water at will;

4. A boat consisting of a plurality of connected hulls spaced a suitable distance apart,

a propeller located between the hulls, means for rotating the pro eller, an air-tight deck arranged between t e hulls above the propeller, saiddeck having adjustable end sections, and means for ralsing or lowering said adjustable end sections, so that the outer ends thereof may dip below the surface of the water. A

5; A boat consisting of a plurality of connected hulls spaced a suitable distance apart,

a shaft passing on an angle through the nner wall of a hull into the intermediate s ace, a

ropeller mounted on the shaft and ocated between the hulls, means for rotatin the shaft, a deck extending from hull to hul and consisting of a fixed central section directly above the propeller and hinged end sections extending respectively forward and aft from said central section, and adjustingmeans for raising and lowering the swinging ends of said hinged sections so as to enable the same to dip a sufficient distance below the surface of the water when the draft of the boat is such as to lift the propeller partly above the water level.

6. A boat consisting of two connected hulls suitably spaced apart, a ro eller-located in the s ace between the u and a deck above t e propeller adjustable vertically so as to cause the water to cntirely submerge the propeller when the latter is in op- 'erat1on.

' 7. A boat consisting of two connected, pro eller'lo hulls suitably spaced apart, a cated in thespace between the u s, and a deck above the propeller, making water and air-tight connection with the adjacent hulls,

adjustable vertically so 'as when the latter is in operation, I

"'cated in the space between the 8. A boat consisting of two connected hulls suitably spacedapart,- a re eller 10- ul s, a deck above the propeller extending from one hull to'the otherand adjustable vertically, and

packingbetween' the edges of the deck and sides of the hulls, making the same air and w water-tight while permitting adjustment I thereof.

- 9. A'boat consisting of two connected hulls suitably s aced apart, propellers located the space etween the hulls, a deck above the having a fixed central section and ropeller Em ed forward and rear sections, means for inclining the hinged s'ections more or less, and

flexible packing strips overlying the hinge joints to revent leakage of air and water through t e same.

10. A boat consisting of two connected.

. hulls suitably spaced apart, pro ellers located in the space between the hu ls, a deck above the propeller extending from one hull to the other and adjustable in hei htj, and

strips of flexible imperviousmateria secured tightly to the side edges of the deck rojecting therefrom so as to press against t e adjacent sides of the hulls, whereby to revent leakage of air and water between t e deck and hulls.

11. In a catamaran boat having a con-- tinuous fore-and-aft assage from bow to stern between the hu s, a driving propeller to enable-its for--- -ward and aft ends to extend belowthe water surface, whereby the water may be lifted above thenormal level'to cover the propeller prose-bars above and below t e water located in said passage, and trash racks consisting of a series of upwardly directed bars extending across the passage to prevent fouling of the propeller by small pieces of wood and other 'floatin obstructions, said racks being accessible r'om above toper'mitre moval of the rubbish collected thereby.

12. In a catamaran having a cont1nuous fore-and-aft passage between the hulls and a driving ro eller located in said'passage, trash-rac s .55. ocated somewhat aft of the bow Y and forward of the stern, extending across of horizontal an b'arslying upon. said cross-bars, the latter bars. being inclined upwardly and inwardly from the nearest end of the boat, so that the the passage, and each consistin rubbish collected thereby may be accessible from either hull for removal.

13. A boat consistin of two hulls having a continuouspassage rom end to end-beprolpeller located in said a'stween them, a sage, and pa 'al el orizontalbars-e'xten' g forward and rearward respectively from the bow-and stern of each hull on a lateral inclination toward the other hull, and stem and stern posts connectin their meeting ends, w provided.

314. A boat consisting said bars together atof two hulls having ereby log fenders are g a continuous passage irom end to end be-' JULIUS s. LANE. JOHN L. MATHEWS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. BROWN, P. W. PEzzE'rTr'. 

